


Waffles for dinner

by SakuPenguin



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, Kanej - Freeform, M/M, Post-Book 2: Crooked Kingdom, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:01:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakuPenguin/pseuds/SakuPenguin
Summary: She was back, and with her his smile
Relationships: Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck, Kaz Brekker/Inej Ghafa
Comments: 4
Kudos: 63





	Waffles for dinner

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is part of the Grishaverse mini bang! I hope you enjoy

He knew she was going to be there before opening the door; he had heard people speak, words that came and went, but only one word mattered.

Wraith. She had returned.

Inej had returned home with her parents four months ago, to the caravans and the family, before embarking on her new adventure, never better said. She didn't tell them how long she planned to leave for; she had just said goodbye to them with hugs and kisses on their tear-stained cheeks. Jesper had lifted her off the ground, hugging her in midair as she spun around. Wylan had hidden his face in the curve of her neck, not wanting to let her go. Kaz watching everything several steps behind, cold and distant as always, but when Inej approached him, floating and weightless as always, to hold his hand in hers, he couldn't help but smile. It was delicate, as with everything she did, and she squeezed his hand gently.

“No mourners,” Her voice was like a caress. She was again an excited girl and her eyes were bright like burning coals, but this time the flame was not for revenge; it was pure happiness that made her burn.

"No funerals," Kaz's smile seemed to erase the roughness of his voice. He knew that this time he was ready to let her go, that he couldn't ask her to stay, that he even wanted to see her fly.

It was a warm sunset in Katerdam. The wind was soft and Inej's figure stood out against the sun as she said goodbye, leaning over the ship's railing with her parents next to her. As Kaz turned to go back to the Crow Club he heard her voice again, a thunderous shout.

"I will be back soon!" the smile on Kaz's lips grew even bigger, "Don't miss me very much!"

He had laughed. Kaz had laughed for the first time in years. He looked over his shoulder and raised an arm, waving vigorously to say goodbye to her. If she was a free and happy young woman again, Kaz was again the boy who believed in fairy tales. He had never imagined being so happy to let go of something he loved.

They returned to the Crow Club together, Jesper's arm around Kaz´s shoulders as his other hand intertwined with Wylan’s fondly. That night was for them, to celebrate and laugh; that night there were anecdotes and laughter. They were no longer thieves -- that night they were the children they deserved to be once again.

And now she was back.

He put his hand on the knob slowly, feeling the cold metal through the leather of his gloves he took a breath and opened the door. The air in his lungs was useless, his breath fading as soon as he saw her. Inej fed the crows while humming some suli song. He knew she had heard him come in, but she didn't seem to want to turn to look at him. She smelled of the sea, but not the sea of the harbor; Inej smelled of salt and freedom, the open sea and a new world.

He approached slowly, one step. Then another, until he reached the window. He didn´t hesitate this time. He wouldn’t wait days in fear of how fast his heart beat against his chest. He was sure she could hear it.

"I have not fulfilled what you asked for, wraith," she turned to look at him. A smile reached her eyes, waiting for the words that would come, "I missed you."

Inej threw her head back. The sun caressed her skin; the sunset suited her well. She had cut her hair. There was no longer a cascade of ink on her back -- now the hair brushed her shoulders and spun along with her in a different rhythm. It fit her well, though by then Kaz was sure anything would fit her.

They were very close. Their shoulders brushed, but he swallowed the chill as she took off his gloves, the heat running through his pale, slender fingers when she reached for his hand, waiting for permission, not wanting to push the limit. The smile on Inej's face was noticeable when he was the one who linked his fingers with hers as he sat at the window as well. Inej wiped her free hand against her pants, ridding herself of the last breadcrumbs before stroking Kaz's hand with her fingertips.

She had always been amazed at how different their hands were; the demon's claws were nothing more than the hands of a thief. Wylan had once said that Kaz had fine, elegant pianist hands, quick and nimble fingers that could have reached every key. Inej's hands were full of marks, calluses and burns of the hours climbing. They were a map of hardness and scars, the legs of a spider.

Kaz had closed his eyes, leaning against the window frame and the wind blowing his hair. His eyes were closed and he breathed calmly, rhythmically with Inej's caresses.

"I've missed you too," her accent was more pronounced after the months at home, "I missed this place...I missed the crows." She kept stroking him with absolute calmness. Kaz had never felt this good, as calm as when Inej's hand took his to hold his wrist and turn it, her fingers now brushing the palm of his hand.

"How long will you stay?" He knew there was fear in his voice.

“I´ve spoken to Rotty. It’s not a good idea to throw myself into the sea with winter so close. I’ll stay until spring, when the waters calm down and the slavers return to work.”

Neither spoke for a time. Inej returned to her song, never releasing his hand, never letting go. There was a security, a bubble around them that cut them off from the world, from the noise on the street and on the other floors of the building. Kaz joined the song at some point, humming meaningless and out of rhythm lines, his voice rough and tired. Neither of them knew how long that lasted; having Inej by his side made time unreal. It would have been worth every second of waiting to have her with him at that moment. His heart felt light, and he knew that when she left again it wouldn't hurt. He would still be happy no matter what happened.

He opened his eyes to meet Inej's eyes looking at him tenderly.

"I thought you were asleep," she laughed, "I've never seen you so relaxed."

Kaz grunted as he sat up. He did feel sleepy, to be honest. He let go of Inej's grip to be the one to take her hands now, one of them slowly climbing up Inej's arm. She had skin bristling with the cold of the night. He reached her shoulder and the memories of that day in the bathroom bandaging the girl's wounds wanted to overtake him, but he kept going, up to her neck, her cheek, a constant caress on her dark skin until he reached the strands of hair that fell loose on her face. He slowly pushed them away to better admire her face.

"You’re beautiful..." he knew that he sounded like an idiot in love, but it was the truth. He felt like a child in front of a magical and beautiful spirit. She laughed at his words, sticking out her tongue in a mocking gesture.

"This is new, but I could get used to this side of you, Brekker." Inej noticed how the boy's cheeks were red, as were the tips of his ears.

"Rietveld," there was no question in his voice when he uttered that name, "I want to be Kaz Rietveld for you ..."

Inej nodded. Kaz was still playing with her hair, twisting strands between his fingers. She turned her face, Kaz's hand close to it. She took a breath and leaned down to give a soft kiss on his palm, just a touch that paralyzed Kaz for a second, but the boy released the air in his lungs and continued to tangle her hair. Only the roar of Inej's stomach broke the silence. Kaz jerked his hand away and she laughed again.

"Waffles for dinner?" she suggested as she jumped to her feet.

"Nina would kill me if I didn’t accept that offer." Inej was surprised to see how the boy stood up without difficulties; for the first time she noticed that there was no cane in sight. "I had to start closing wounds somewhere. I went to see a healer after you left. Jesper kept the cane -- I think he uses it as a pool stick or something."

Inej looked at him with eyes shining with pride. She couldn´t imagine how hard it had been to leave behind part of him, to leave part of the pieces on which he had built his story. But again, nobody said anything. They didn’t need to; among them the silence spoke for itself. They took to the streets holding hands, Kaz's gloves on his hands once again, but Inej did not mind. The boy could not lose his reputation, nor would she ask to step over the limits in which he felt comfortable.

In the darkness of the Katerdam night they advanced, fingers intertwined and shoulder to shoulder, leaving ghosts and fears behind, forgetting problems and fears. Everything was perfect; the noise of the night life of the city, the moon shining above them, the smell of salt and gunpowder. It was a deafening but natural noise. The night was theirs for an instant that could last forever.


End file.
